Boris Johnson thanks 'khaas dost' PM Modi; says he ‘felt like Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan’

UK PM Boris Johnson said his face was as ubiquitous as Amitabh Bachchan. 'It was fantastic,' he said thanking PM Modi for the grand reception a day before in Gujarat.

Published on: Apr 22, 2022 2:40 PM IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Poulomi Ghosh

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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday thanked PM Modi as he expressed his exhilaration over how warmly he has been received in India. He said he felt like cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and superstar Amitabh Bachchan as PM Modi's state was all decked up with posters welcoming the UK prime minister to India. Calling PM Modi a khaas dost (special friend), Boris Johnson said, "Thank you ... my friend prime minister Modi, Narendra Modi.. my khaas dost I think is the phrase I want to.. in Hindi. We had a fantastic two days in India. I became the first conservative prime minister to visit Gujarat, your birthplace, of course. It is also the ancestral home of almost half the British Indians. I had an amazing reception. I felt like Sachin Tendulkar. My face was as ubiquitous as Amitabh Bachchan. I was everywhere to be seen. It was fantastic. It was fantastic," Boris Johnson said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan, in New Delhi on Friday.

Boris Johnson arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday for his two-day India trip. He spent the first day in Gujarat, visiting the Sabarmati Ashram, Akshardham temple of the Swaminarayan sect in Gandhinagar and the manufacturing unit of JCB.

On Friday, Boris Johnson met PM Modi in New Delhi and held bilateral talks. Talking about the India-UK relationship, the UK PM said things have never been so strong and good between India and the United Kingdom.

"They (People of Gujarat) put on a fantastic welcome for us. It was absolutely extraordinary. I have never seen such a joyful reception. I would have not gotten the same reception anywhere else in the world. It was amazing to see your (PM Modi's) home state for the first time," Boris Johnson said.

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